St. Paul daily globe., 1887-01-22
DEMANDING DECENCY.
The Women of Washington File An Ez-
plicit and Startling Petition With
the Senate,
Detailing the Evils Which Afaict the Capt.
tai and Asking for Remedial
Legislation.
TheInter-state Commerce Bill Passed
by the House--Its Pro-
visions.

National Board of Trade-- Historical
Documents--Se Voorhees,
Wife Dead.
p. WASHINGTON, Jan. 21.-The presiding
officer presented communication from
the president, with letter from Sam
G. Reed, Offering the nation the sword Of
his father, Capt. Reed, who commanded
the privateer General Armstrong at the bat
tie of FavaI. The president suggests that
action be taken for the acceptance of the
gift. Ordered printed and laid on the table.
Mr.. Spooner was appointed on the commit
tee on privileges and elections to fill the va
cancy caused by the death of Gen, Logan.
Mr.. COlquitt, in presenting a petition from
the WOmanS Christian Temperance Union
OF the District of Columbia, said that he
assumed no responsibility for the startling
facts revealed iii the petition. but he did
3 answer for the pure motives and high char
acter of those who laid it before the senate.
The petition was bold and aggressive and
CHALLENGED INVESTIGATION
of the facts. 1t was plea which mothers
aud wives made to this body Of grave and
reverend seignlors'' for protection against
such an access of vice and laWleSsneSS as
should not only alarm, but humiliate the
senate. They could never disregard the
voice Of woman raised in behalf of social
purity and public virtue. He asked that
the petition be read at length and referred
to the district committee. The petition was
read. 1t charges the commissioners OF the
District of Columbia with diSregarding the
purity, safety and moral interests and
fi,o{
direct violation of law, they have been
for months past permitting and protecting
gambling halls, pool rooms and drinking
establishments. as well as dens of prostitu-
1iom and vice. and giving numerous partcu
lars. 1t charges that house owned by
one of the commissioners is used as an office
by the agent of the Louisiana state lottery
and that Frank Hume, the president of the
Liquor Dealers association, is bOndSman of
one of the public commissioners. 1t there
fore prays for thorough investigation of
the facts and for the proper enforce
ment of law and protection of homes
within the District Mr.. Hawley remarked
that the petition just read was
A TREMENDOUS INDICTMENT
and shocking revelation, and he suggested
that MI. Colquitt should accompany it with
resolution calling for all Immediate and
severe investigation. Mr.. Colquitt said he
. did not feel it incumbent on him to make
any suggestion to the committee. He did
not doubt that the committee would be in
full sympathy with any movement to re-
dress these heniOuS OffenSeS. and would
suggest proper measures OF redress. MIR.
Ingalls, chairman of the District OF Colum-
ba committee, said that the allegations pre-
sented in the petition had long engaged the
off bn nn
doubt there was very great violation, not
only of the law, but of moral and social Or
der in connection with these transac
tions. Licenses had been granted in
violation of statutory provisions. But, in
order that the senate and the country might
understand that the district committee had
neither been obliViOuS nor neglectful OF
these matters, he felt it his duty to call at
tentiOn to the fact that on Feb. 4, 1854, he
had introduced bill regulating the sale of
distilled and fermented liquors in the dis
trict and that on the 18th of the same
month the bill had been reported by the
committee, and had subsequently passed
The senate. The bill was now before the
district committee Of the house. If the
other branch of the congress had been as
diigent as the senate one great cause of
complaint (as set forth in the petition)
would have been removed. The bill was
read at length. 1t requires a higher license
fee Of $500. Mr.. PIatt SAID that, while he
regarded high license law as proper, he
preferred a prohibtory law, and had in
tended to offer a prohibitory law as sub
stitute for the.bill, buthad been
- UNAYoipABLY ABSENT,
on account of sickness when that bill was
before the senate. The petition was then
referred to. the committee on the District of
Columbia. Numerous petitions were pre-
sented by several senators for all amend
ment OF the oleomargarine law and for the
repeal of the internal revenue laws, and
were referred to the committee on finance.
adopted requesting the president to COM
muncate to the senate the correspondence
with the government of Mexico in regard to
the seizure and sale of the American
schooner Rebecca in the port of Tampico;
also, copies of all correspondence be-
tween The state department and the
late Minister Jackson, with Mr.. Jackson's
letter to the president on the subject Of his
resignation. Mr.. Edmunds gave notice. on
behalf of the committee on foreign relations,
that tomorrow, Immediately after the com
pleton of the street morning business, he
would ask the senate to consider the bill
respecting the protection of American fish
ermen, which he had reported the other
day. subsequently, however. the senate
agreed to adjourn over till Monday. A
motion to reconsider the vote to adjourn
over was made and defeated-yeas 21, nays
2S The senate then went into secret Ses-
sion, and when the doors were reopened
adjourned till Monday.